Page 95 - Eschatology - Masters revised

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dwells upon its ruins.” This commander, who was an eyewitness to these events, said that Jerusalem
and the temple were gone, but the Roman fort was still there. It appears that the square walls of the
temple mount today are really where the Roman Fort Antonia was.

Fort Antonia had been a Roman fortress since AD 6. With its 60-foot walls, 37 cisterns, and special
aqueduct to supply it with water, the Fort was a valuable resource which Titus decided to preserve as
home to the Roman Tenth Legion. The Fort was probably located on what is now referred to as the
“Temple Mount.” According to Dr. Earnest Martin, the fact that every Jewish structure, wall, and
foundation in the city of Jerusalem were destroyed – including the Temple – is powerful evidence that
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the Jewish Temple was not at this site .

So where was the temple built in
ancient Jerusalem? Josephus
references that the temple was built
about 600 feet south of Fort Antonia
and was connected by a double
causeway with the fort on the higher
ground. It would look something
like the picture to the left.

Josephus said, “Now as to the Tower
of Antonia, it might seem to be composed of several cities.” He also said, “For if we go up to this Tower
of Antonia, we gain the city
since we shall then be upon
the top of the hill.”
Josephus’s description of the
Temple Mount in relation to
Fort Antonia is more
pictured by the artist
drawing to the right.
Remember Josephus was
alive at the time of his
observations and wrote
down what he actually saw!

In Acts 21:31-32 Luke describes and event that happened to Paul in Jerusalem at the Temple. “Now
they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an
uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the
commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The Fort was on higher ground!

Acts 21:35 continues the story. “When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers
because of the violence of the mob.” Acts 21:40, “So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on
the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people.” Notice the stairs in the above picture to the
entrance of the Fort (blue arrow). Those stairs exist today in ruins at the “Temple Mount.” The model
at the Israel Museum has the small fort connected to the temple with no stairs. This picture is not
supported by the facts of the story in Acts.

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